Grand Theft Auto IV

Everything we know so far...and a few things we don't.

When, in characteristic fashion, Rockstar announced the existence of Grand Theft Auto IV with literally no details beyond a release date, the response was as expected: wild, unchecked speculation that did nothing but stoke the boiler on the hype train. The company finally came clean with a few details, courtesy of a cryptic trailer and dual cover stories in Game Informer here in the U.S. and PlayStation Official Magazine - UK across the pond, but an awful lot of speculation and misinformation is still floating around out there. So we figured now would be a good time to take a step back, take a breath, and take stock of what we know about the game so far.

THE SETTING

It's set in the present day: Countless sources bear this out -- most tellingly the pop-culture references in the original trailer, like a billboard for America's Next Top Hooker.

It features a return to Liberty City: But this time, it actually bears a striking resemblance to New York itself, featuring look-alikes of loads of real-world locations. Among them: the Statue of Liberty (here called the Statue of Happiness), the Chrysler Building, the MetLife Building (here called GetaLife), the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, Coney Island, Times Square, Rockefeller Center and many, many more.

[Click the image above to check out all GTA IV screens.]

It's smaller than San Andreas: In virtual land, that is. But don't think that'll mean there's nothing to do; Rockstar is attempting to practically eliminate wasted space, so the city will be very densely packed. And let's not forget all the vertical space jammed onto that tiny island and its surrounding boroughs. The game will include representations of Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and a small part of New Jersey -- known in the game as Algonquin, Broker, Bohan, Dukes, and Alderney respectively.

Mayor Bloomberg hates it: In a statement to the Associated Press, the mayor of New York's office says, "The mayor does not support any videogame where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers."

THE CHARACTERS AND STORY

The main character is an Eastern European or Russian immigrant: Nikko Bellic's origin has yet to be specified, but his appearance and accent strongly suggest either Russia or one of the Balkan nations. He comes to Liberty City on the advice of his cousin, Roman.

Nikko's cousin is a jerk: Roman Bellic is an affable loser who tricks Nikko into coming to Liberty City with tales of uncountable fortune and unbridled prosperity. When Nikko arrives, he discovers that Roman is in fact heavily in debt to some very bad men and is counting on his more streetwise cousin to pull his chestnuts from the fire.

That's just the beginning: While declining to offer more story details, Rockstar has hinted that the interactions between Nikko and Roman are just the launching pad for a bigger, broader tale.

The story won't be set in stone: GTA IV is expected to be the least linear of the series, offering branching missions and an overall story that is rumored to be dynamic, presenting different paths depending on Nikko's actions and his relationships with key characters.